Kanze Dena Shares Her Secret Pregnancy Story

Former government spokesperson Kanze Dena has offered a glimpse into a previously undisclosed chapter of her life.

Speaking in an interview with Parents Magazine, Dena reveals a hidden pregnancy that occurred shortly after her high school graduation. Fearing her strict mother’s reaction, the prospect of being unmarried and pregnant filled Dena with dread. During that period, social stigma heavily burdened women who conceived outside of marriage. Determined to keep the pregnancy a secret, Dena opted to live in a hostel while attending Secretariat and IT College. This decision, however, forced her to contemplate giving up the baby for adoption.

She confided in Teen Crisis counsellors who were to facilitate the adoption process after the child’s birth. Dena emphasizes that the decision to give the child up for adoption was a conscious one on her part. Adding another layer of complexity, Dena was scheduled to visit relatives on the very day she went into labour. Dena initially misinterpreted the signs and soon noticed that her water had broken. She contacted a friend who upon hearing the situation confirmed Dena’s suspicions – she was in labour. Scrambling to explain her sudden departure to her relatives, Dena fabricated a story about needing to do laundry.

“I made up my mind that I was not going to keep the baby.” Dena discloses.

She then made her way to Pumwani Hospital where the staff remained unaware of her pregnancy due to her earlier limited interaction with them. Dena’s reveals that her journey into motherhood was shrouded in secrecy, burdened by difficult choices, and ultimately shaped by the weight of societal expectations.

“I was supposed to spend the weekend with my aunt and grandmother and now I had to come up with a reason to go back to the hostel. And so I told my auntie, water has come so I need to go wash clothes. I took myself to Pumwani Hospital. They never knew I was pregnant because I never spent that much time with them,” says Dena.